The answer is simple, the retailers who find your brand relevant to their customers. This is important to keep in mind, as selling into stores is not the most difficult challenge, that is keeping them flying off the shelves to maintain the right to occupy them.

For most multi-brand industry market leaders, it is the number of doors in combination with their financial power to buy shelf space and invest in advertisement that moves their products. They do not mind that competing retailer on each their side of the street compete on being the one selling the product.

Back to back distribution strategies leads to discounting products and increased price competition. No one is the winner in that game.

Most independent brands do not have the same luxury and in our experience, the key to success is choosing retailers who want to put your brand on a pedestal because they feel it is relevant to their business. Your target audience likes the in-shop experience and will travel to get the advice that follows. The retailer’s online shops is part of the customer loyalty program and “after-first-purchase” service.

Four relevant questions from us to you, before we start talking about the right distribution strategy is:

• who do you want to buy your products?
• where do they buy their cosmetic products?
• why is your brand relevant to them?
• how do they get the message?

Relevance is important for us as well when we join partnerships with new brands. If it resonates with you as well and you are looking for new ways to expand your market, we should look at the future opportunities together.